FateStay Night: Chapter Red
by metacllica
Summary: It's time for the fifth Holy Grail War and a local high school student by the name of Shirou Emiya has been dragged into it. Join Shirou and company on a quest of magic, adventure, and mysteries. (Disclaimer: The Fate series is property of Type-Moon)
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: The Fate series is property of Type-Moon... I own nothing!**_

* * *

 _Fate/Stay Night: Chapter Red_

 _Chapter 01- Are you my master!_

 _..._

He could hear it, the sound of a gargled voice above him. Shirou Emiya knew he was dying, the man in blue spandex made sure of that when he ran him through the heart with his spear. Was this really how it was going to end for him? Would he die here not being able to save a single person? He had made a promise to his late father, that if he ever became a magi that he would use that power to save someone's life. But now... It looked as if that... Wouldn't be possible.

Why was everything red? Red had suddenly invaded his blurring vision. Was this what everyone who was about to bite it saw before the end... Red? Shirou's vision finally went black, and all was silent. Then he awoke.

He was sore all over. His body screaming for him to stay stationary. He was panting heavily as he forced himself to sit up. It was still dark out and he was still in the dark hallway where the man in blue had stabbed him. He shakily place a hand over his still burning injury and saw the crimson liquid that coated his hand.

"I'm alive?" he asked himself, his voice barley above a whisper.

He forced himself to his knees as he began to cough. His brain was running a thousand miles a minute, nothing but nonstop questions. The first being how was he still alive? He turned his head to see something glittering in the dark, a ruby-red gemstone. Shirou crawled over to the red gem and held it firmly in his grasp, he needed to leave this place.

He struggled to stand on his wobbly legs. He took a deep breath and leaned against the wall for support. Once he took one more moment to collect himself, and headed down the hall.

...

It took Shirou a good while, but he finally made it home. He slid open his door and practically collapsed onto the floor. He propped himself against the wall and ran a hand over his now closed injury. Nothing that happened tonight made any sense to him.

"Who were those guys?" he wondered. "They weren't ordinary human's. Spirits maybe? No. They were all too real and they tried to kill each other. They nearly killed me too. No. I wasn't nearly killed, I was actually killed. But I'm still here. Someone came along and saved me... Someone brought me back to life. But who? I wish I could at least say thank you to them."

Shirou's thought's came to a halt when the sounds of bells in the night filled his ears. Someone had triggered his makeshift security system. He looked up to the source only too see his blue clad assailant from early coming down on him.

 _"It's him again!"_

Shirou moved as quickly as his body would allow and rolled out of the way of the blue man's scarlet lance. The man's lance struck nothing but wood as Shirou hopped over a nearby coffee table and crashed onto the ground. His heart was racing as he looked for something, anything he could use to defend himself.

 _"Weapon! I need a weapon!"_ he thought frantically.

That's when he spotted the sheet metal poster his _"legal guardian"_ accidently bashed him over the head with. This night was just kept getting worse. Well, if he already hit bottom than there was nowhere else to go but up, at least that's what he told himself.

 _"Trace... On."_ Re-enforcement magic, where would he be without it?

"I can't believe I've gotta kill the same person twice in one night." said the blue suited man smugly. "Guess the human worlds a bloody place no matter the era."

The blue clad man removed his lance from the hard wood and skillfully twirled it as he faced his victim. His scarlet orbs narrowed when he saw the rolled up poster Shirou held give off a faint glow. The lance wielding man smirked at the sight, things were finally starting to get interesting.

"Sorry kid, but this time you're goin' straight to the afterlife." the lancer said as he stalked towards his prey.

Shirou stood firm. "Component materials strengthening..."

His assessment was interrupted when the lancer finally pounced. His lance easily bypassed Shirou's guard and tore into his flesh. Shirou winced from the pain but didn't drop his weapon. The lancer smirked as he pulled back his weapon. "That's a rather odd trick. It's feint but I sense manna in you. Makes sense, at least that explains how your still breathing after I skewered your heart."

Shirou began to back away slowly while grasping his now bleeding arm.

The blue clad lancer tightened his grip on his lance all while giving Shirou a toothy grin. "This is gonna be fun after all!"

Shirou's eyes widened when the blue lancer made a mad dash for him. He swung his lance against Shirou's makeshift weapon with a loud clank. Shirou's felt his arms growing numb as the lancer's multiple strikes began to mangle the poster. Shirou's tried his best to defend himself but was clearly outmatched.

The blue lancer gave a mighty swing that sent Shirou through two wooden doors on the other end of the room. He struggled to make it to his feet as his body ached from the strike. He looked up at his opponent in fear as he hurled his weapon with the intent of piercing his skull.

Shirou rolled out of the way and tried his best to make it down the hall of his home. He knew his attacker was coming for him, so he decided to change the venue by jumping through a window to his backyard. Shirou landed painfully on the ground as shattered glass surrounded him.

He tried to take a second to catch his breath but couldn't as the lancer came from out of nowhere and struck him in the ribs with a powerful kick. Shirou screamed from the pain and the sheer force alone sent him flying into a nearby shed.

"I was kind enough to give you a chance kid, but you blew it." said the blue assailant as he threw his lance over his shoulder.

Shirou somehow made it to his feet despite the pain and ran into the shed a quickly as he could, much to the lancer's annoyance. "Geeze! man up already damn it."

Unknown to both of them, fate was taking shape.

Shirou staggered deeper into the shed as he tried to formulate a plan. The sound of footsteps coming near caused him to turn around to see his attacker's lance incoming. He unfolded the poster into a makeshift shield to protect himself, but it shattered like glass upon impact.

Shirou lied on the ground... Defeated.

"Checkmate. That last move was pretty surprising kid. Hmph, this was more fun than I thought I'd be. From what you've just shown me it's quite possible that you're the seventh master." said the lancer as Shirou sat up to face his doom. "Well, even if you were, it doesn't matter now."

 _"No way."_ Shirou though. _"I just a second chance to live, so I'm not gonna be killed that easily. There's no way he's gonna take me without a fight, I have to live and fulfill all of my obligations... And I can't do that if I'm dead."_

The power began to build. The pieces were beginning fall into place. Shirou was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't feel the stinging sensation on the back of his hand.

"I still have more in me! I'm not gonna die at the hands of a bastard like you!" Shirou roared.

The power had finally reached a critically point, the seventh master had finally been selected. But who would be chosen to serve? The seventh had a catalyst for a specific servant, but that one was currently unavailable. The Holy grail would have to choose another, one that was close enough.

Light engulfed the shed and nearly blinded both occupants. "The seventh servant is here?!" said a surprised lancer.

He was even more surprised when he was forced to block a sword strike that sent him flying out the shed and across the yard in a burst of crimson energy. Once the light faded, Shirou was face-to-face with armor, and a lot of it. A figure small in stature but covered head to toe in armor with small splashes of red. Not only that, but they also wore a steel face-covering helm that was decorated with horns. Shirou would be lying if he said he wasn't the least bit intimidated.

The armored warrior turned to face their summoner. Their metal helm disassembling around the rest of their armor to reveal their face. They were a woman? Their eyes jade, their skin fair, and their hair blonde and held in a high ponytail with a ruff look and two bangs that framed their face.

Shirou was mesmerized.

The person before him drove their sword into the ground and stood with both dignity and grace. "You may call me Mordred, the one and only true successor to the famed king of knights Arthur Pendragon."

Shriou remained silent as the servants face morphed into a confident grin.

"Now then I ask of you. Are you the one, who is my master?"

Shirou was rendered speechless. For some reason he just couldn't speak. Perhaps it was the confusion around him? Yeah. That was probably it. Mordred was about to say something because of her master's silence and noticed the wounds he was sporting courtesy of the lancer she just removed. She also saw the command seals displayed clearly on his hand.

"Damn, that guy got you good didn't he?" before she could speak further the sounds of the lancer recovering outside caught her attention. Mordred smiled devilishly, her master could wait. Right now the enemy was outside, waiting for her. "You stay put, I'll be right back. Our pact is sealed."

Shirou could do nothing as Mordred's helm returned and she made a beeline for the lancer outside. She disappeared in a burst of speed and her sword met the lancer's lance head on. Each trading blows in a flurry of crimson energy under the moonlight.

Eventually both halted their clash and stood across from each other. The lancer's face growing an entertained smirk. Shirou had finally made his way outside only to see his new servant blitz the scarlet eyed man. She swung her sword viciously at speeds that made Shirou's jaw drop. What was more surprising was how the lancer easily kept up with her deflecting each slash with relative ease.

Mordred eventually overpowered the lancer and forced him back. The mans feet digging into the earth as he tried to hold his ground. The lancer quickly spun on his heal and made a quick dash at his crimson opponent. His speed was near blinding as he went for a lung at the armored knight's heart.

The knight saw this coming and deflect the lancer's weapon with and uppercut-like strike that dug up the ground below them. The lancer seemed almost shocked by the armored knight's sheer speed. He soon found himself on the defensive as he barely dodged a sword slash that would have removed his face.

The crimson knight began pushing the lancer back with strike after savage strike, the telltale sounds of metal colliding metal filling the night. Both warriors tried to get an edge on the other but to no avail, each strike was either countered or parried.

Lancer tried to strike at the knight's throat only for her to duck under. Seeing opening she went for a quick thrust at the man's chest but he sidestepped the strike and tried to create some distance between them. The red knight would have none of that and charged the lancer with her blade held high.

She let out a might roar as her weapon again clashed with the blue warrior's lance. Both were deadlocked as they each struggled for dominance. Lancer grunted in slight frustration as he couldn't push the knight away. The knight who was sick of the deadlock started to flare her power.

Not wanting to be caught up in whatever the knight was planning, lancer allowed the knight's weapon to slide down his lance. Once the sword made contact with the earth a small explosion of crimson came fourth and the lancer jumped as far back as he could.

"Just who the hell are you?" he asked as he avoided a vertical slash that would have torn open his chest. He jumped even farther back to create separation. He wouldn't give this knight even the smallest window to take advantage.

"What's wrong Lancer?" Mordred taunted. "Getting cold feet? You were raring to go a minute ago. Just standing there like a statue gives spearmen a bad name. If you won't come at me than I'll go to you."

"Before you do let me ask you this. Are you a Saber?"

Mordred smirked underneath her helm. "Maybe I am a Saber? Or quite possibly a berserker? Or perhaps a rider, who could say?"

Lancer let out a small chuckle as he changed his stance. "Very funny... Saber."

"That stance." Shirou said in recognition. It was the same one from when he was skewered.

"I have one more question for you. Since this our first meeting would you like to just call it a draw?"

"Surly you jest." Mordred said dryly. "You're going to fall here Lancer, tonight."

Lancer looked disappointed. "Is that so? Damn it all. My only objective was to observe. oh well."

The tip of Lancer's spear began to emit an eerie red glow. The scarlet energy surrounding it almost looked like flames. Mordred gripped her sword tighter as a wave of dread and excitement washed over her, she could feel the power building.

"Ready or not Saber I shall come to take your life!"

At blinding speeds that made Mordred's eyes go wide, Lancer moved like she'd never seen. He dug his feet into the earth and readied his arm. His lance was ready for the kill and his eyes didn't even hide his murderous intent. He was ready to put the Saber down for good.

 **"Gae Bolg!"** he roared as his lance's energy exploded forth. A spear of red energy zig zagged through the air and towards the knight. She held up her blade in defense but the overwhelming power of Lancer attack was unreal. The explosive energy tore through Emiya's backyard and eventually... Saber's guard.

Mordred's jade orbs became as big as saucers when she found the lance's power had run her through the shoulder and hoisted her high into the air. Using all the power at his disposal, Lancer hoisted the knight above him and slammed her into the ground with nothing but brute force.

Shirou's jaw again dropped when the energy faded and Saber was left alone in a crater.

"You're very lucky Saber, you dodged my ultimate blow!" said an aggravated Lancer.

Mordred slowly sat up from in the crater and glared at her blue clad opponent. She held a hand over the new hole in her shoulder in anger. "A curse? No. That strike revered cause and effect. That spear is Gae Bolg, which means you're Ireland's child of light."

Lancer simply smiled and nodded. "Damn, I really messed up. If I use that move it has to be fatal or I'm in big trouble."

Mordred was surprised when she saw Lancer beginning to walk away.

"My master is a bit of a coward you see. You dodged my spear so he's ordering me to retreat for now."

"You craven! You're turning tail and leaving!" Mordred said, her anger rising.

"Your more than welcome to follow. But if you do you best be prepared to die." he said seriously before disappearing into the night.

"Wait!" the knight shouted, but her words fell on def ears. Mordred's clenched fist slammed into ground. "Son of a bitch!"

She forced herself to her feet much to the surprise of Shirou. "Is she really thinking about chasing after him?"

Shirou ran up to the now wounded knight. "Hey! Are you alright?" That's when he saw her injury beginning to heal, albeit very slowly. "What the hell are you?"

Mordred's helm disassembled, once again revealing her face. "I am your saber class servant, therefore call me Saber." now that she thought about it, him calling her by her actual name might not be the best idea.

"Oh... My name is Shirou, Shirou Emiya."

"Shirou Emiya, huh?" said the Saber of red.

"I live here." Shirou said nervously. "No. That's not really what I want to say."

After a few minutes of explanation, some things became clear. "So you're not a proper master. Hmph. Even still, your my master all the same."

"Isn't weird for you to start calling me master all of a sudden?" Shirou asked.

"Not really." Saber shrugged.

"Could you please just call me by my name?"

"Fine. Shirou then." the knight relented.

Shirou finally felt the burning pain on the back of his hand and noticed a symbol that was never there before. "What the hell?!"

"Those are called command seals. Try not to waste all three at once." Saber revealed. She then turned her head as if she felt something. "Hey Shirou, could you do something about this?" she motioned to the now closed wound on her shoulder.

"Wait, you're asking me? Sorry, but magic like that is way beyond me." Shirou admitted.

Saber sighed in frustration. "Whatever, I'll face them as is." she said as she hopped onto the roof. "There's two enemies outside. And since the clown in blue left I need to work out this frustration."

What do you mean there's enemies outside?! Saber?!" it was too late, she was already gone.

...

Shirou ran through his home and around the corner as quickly as he could. What greeted him was a war cry and the sound of his newly acquired servant tearing into the chest of another strangely dressed man in red with snow white hair. Saber was about to deal a killing blow until another voice called out for the man in red to vanish.

Shirou was surprised when the man in red seemed to vanish into thin air. That however didn't stop Saber from charging at the other person present. Shirou couldn't make out who they were in the dark but he saw them throw some kind of gem at Saber which exploded upon impact. The ensuing explosion did little to slow Saber down, in fact it only served to annoy her.

But right before she could cleave the poor person in half, Shirou intervened. "Saber! Stop!"

And just like that Saber was frozen in her tracks. Her body shaking ferociously as she tried to disobey and bisect the person before her. She turned to Shirou with a glare that sent chills down his spine. "What the hell do you think you doing?! This is Archer's master, we'd be crazy not to take her out now!"

"You mentioned this master stuff before but I still don't understand who you really are or why your here! But if you just stop trying to randomly kill people for a second I'll listen!"

"Randomly kill people? Don't be absurd, you never turn down the chance to slay your enemy..."

"Girls shouldn't go around swinging giant swords at people! Especially if they're wounded!" Shirou scolded. That's when his golden orbs widened as he found himself staring down the business end of Saber's blade. The look on her face was outright murderous.

"The next time you refer to me as a girl I won't be able to restrain myself. You understand?"

Shirou was taken about aback by the ice cold tone of her voice and nodded in understanding. He let out a sigh of relief once the blade was nowhere near his throat. He made a mental note to never make that mistake again. He preferred to keep his head attacked to his body.

Shirou then turned his attention to the other person present as they walked into the light. She was a young woman with aqua eyes and wavy black hair which was styled with flanking twin-tails tied with black ribbons. She wore a long red turtleneck with a black skirt and stockings under brown leather flats. Shirou recognized her instantly.

"Aren't you... Rin Tohsaka?"

The girl in red simply smiled. "Good evening, Shirou Emiya."

* * *

 _ **A/N: That concludes chapter one. I had just recently gotten into the Fate series and decided to write a story about it. So anyway to make a long story Short, Mordred from Fate/Apocrypha will be filling in for Artoria Pendragon from Fate/Stay Night.**_

 _ **Let me know if you'd like me to continue this story and don't be afraid to throw out any idea's since I'm making this up as I go along. Enjoy the story and have an awesome day.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: The Fate series is property of Type-Moon... I own nothing!**_

* * *

 _Fate/Stay Night: Chapter Red_

 _Chapter 02- Welcome to the Holy Grail War!_

 _..._

Shirou's brain was still trying to process all that had happened to him over the course of this night. First he witnessed a battle between two people that could be considered superhuman. His curiosity was rewarded with a lance straight through his heart. He found himself revived mysteriously and then was again attacked by the same man that ran him through. Then all of a sudden he managed to summon some girl that went by the name Saber. And Lastly he found out that his school's idol Rin Tohsaka was a magus just like he was. This was shaping up to be a long night.

Now he found himself back at home with his crimson servant and the now identified Rin Tohsaka. All three walked the halls of Shirou's home until they came across the smashed window that Shirou had so graciously hurled his body through.

"Geeze, it's freezing in here." Rin said in slight annoyance. "What happened? This window pane has been completely smashed in."

"It's not my fault." Shirou defended. "I was trying to defend myself against that Lancer guy."

"Wait! You tried to take him on by yourself until you summoned Saber?" Rin asked in surprise.

"Hardly. I didn't even stand a chance." Shirou admitted.

"Huh? Your not even trying to brag about it. I see, you're exactly the way you look... Super honest."

Rin closed her eyes and picked up a piece of the shattered glass. She said a small chant as her manna flared. Shirou looked on in awe for the umpteenth time this night as the window completely reassembled itself. In his mind Rin was clearly the superior magus between the two of them.

"Wow!" Shirou said, nearly speechless. "Tohsaka, you really are a mage aren't you?"

"Yes, and you are too I see."

"No not me, I can't do anything like that." said Shirou.

Rin was almost floored. "What do you mean you can't? You're messing with me now aren't you? Treating glass is about as basic as you can get."

"Well I'm sorry but I only the few things that my dad taught me and I'm afraid even that's nothing formal."

"Huh? So your telling me you can't create a path or control the five elements or... Anything?" Rin asked.

"Nope." Shirou said hesitantly.

"So... You're a complete novice then." Rin surmised.

"Not completely, I can do re-enforcement spells."

"Of all the magic you could learn you chose that." Rin admonished. "Are you sure there's nothing else you can do?"

"No, that's it."

Rin sighed. "How could someone like you manage to summon a saber then. So I'm guessing you have no clue as to the situation you're in?"

"Situation?" Shirou parroted.

"You've been dragged into a tournament of sorts, the Holy Grail War. A battle royal between masters."

"What are you talking about? There's a war!" Shirou asked in surprise.

"You recently had a stigma appear on your hand, right? Those three command seals mark you as a master." Rin said as she motioned towards Emiya's hand. Shirou held up his hand as the three crimson command seals were on full display. "Every few decades seven masters are chosen. Each master is granted a servant. Once that happens a battle for the Holy Grail begins to unfold. I was chosen to be a master as well. As long as you have your command seals your servant will continue to obey you. The command seals give you absolute authority over them... Those seals are what makes them obey your will. They can even force them to do something they don't want to. However, each time you force them against their will you will loose a command. So make sure you always keep you last command."

Suddenly Saber's words to Shirou earlier made some sense. _"Those are called command seals. Try not to waste all three at once."_ Once Shirou was done remembering Saber's words he came back to the realization that he still didn't quite get all this. "Hold on! I still don't understand any of this!"

Rin opted to ignore Shirou for the time being and focus on his servant. "It seems that you still haven't fully materialized. I assume that's due to your master? Him being a novice must have interfered with your summoning."

"Yeah. Shirou doesn't have enough mana to complete the process so I can't become a spirit here, not that I mind." Saber sighed. "Not only that, replenishing my force will take some time too."

"Damn it! What a stupid waste! If I where saber's master I'd win this war easily! Why'd she have to go to a newbie like him?!" Rin ranted hysterically. If Shirou weren't so confused right now he would've found this situation hilarious. The school Idol Rin Tohsaka rolling on the ground like a whinny child was truly a sight to behold. He knew his friend Issei would kill to see the resident ice queen this vulnerable. Saber on the other hand stood stationary with her eye twitching. Probably due to the _"She"_ comment Rin made. He would have to talk to Saber about that.

"Hey? Are you trying to say I'm not worthy to be Saber's master?" asked a confused Shirou.

"You're not even close genus." Rin said dryly. She eventually stood back up with same grace she'd had before she went off on her mini rant. "Okay, Shall we go?"

"Go where?"

"Yeah, where are we going?" Saber added.

"We're going to pay a visit to the man who oversees this whole war." Rin answered. "We're going to the church in new city."

"A church? Seriously?" Saber said, clearly not wanting to go.

Rin just smiled, Shirou got the feeling she was enjoying getting under their skin. Maybe Issei was right about her? Regardless, if they were going to go then he needed to change out of his tattered attire. He went to his room and disposed of his ruined school uniform and changed into something more casual. The next problem was Saber herself, she couldn't travel through town in armor, that would draw way too much attention.

Shirou left his room and found Saber leaned against his wall waiting for him. "Hey saber. Don't you have anything else you can wear? Walking around town in body armor will raise too much attention."

"Sure, I got something." With the snap of her fingers her armor disappeared and was now replaced by... A red battle dress that was quite... Revealing.

Shirou spluttered much to Saber's confusion. "W-What are you wearing?! That's not much better!"

It took Saber a minute before she finally understood why. The smirk on her face spoke volumes. "You don't like what you see?"

Shirou completely turned away, he was so confused. She hated being referred to as a woman and yet was willing to tease him in this manner, he couldn't understand girls at all. Saber was just laughing up a storm behind him, perhaps she could let the whole gender thing slide if teasing her master was going to be this much fun.

"Calm down Shirou I'm just messing with you." Saber said, never loosing her smirk.

"I-I know, just... Please don't do that again." Shirou said finally turning around. "Still, that will draw even more attention." Shirou put a hand to his chin thought. Then an Idea stuck him. He ran to the closet and came back with a mustard yellow rain coat. "Here. This will help you look less conspicuous."

Saber looked at the ugly coat before putting in on. It would make her look less conspicuous sure, but... did it have to be yellow? Crimson was more her color.

"Alright." Shirou smiled. "Let's go."

...

"Oh come on, don't you have anything better for her to wear?" Rin asked as the group walked through the night.

"Don't look at me! This was better than the alternative." Shirou countered, still not trying to think about the revealing red outfit.

"I guess it can't be helped." Rin finally relented. "She can't dematerialize and she can't be seen walking around in body armor or whatever it is that has you so flustered."

Shirou ignored that last part and gave Saber a sideways glance before continuing on. "Hey are you planning for us to walk all the way to the next city?"

"Indeed I am." Rin answered.

"You know it's been dangerous out lately right? I can't protect you two if something happens, I can't." said Shirou.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" asked an annoyed Saber. To think her master thinks she needs protection. Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around?

Shirou spluttered trying to think up an explanation and was thankfully saved by Rin. "Just relax Saber. As far as masters and servants are concerned Shirou really doesn't get it."

That seemed to calm Saber down as she understood her master was basically a rookie in this war, and Shirou just grunted to himself as they came across the bridge that led to New City. A gust of wind began to sweep in as Rin giggled slightly at Emiya's actions. She leaned against a nearby railing that lead to the sea to feel the wind brush against her face. Shirou stood there for a moment, mesmerized by the sight in front of him. Rin looked so beautiful with the wind blowing through her hair as she looked out at the sea.

...

After almost an hour of walking, the group had finally made it to the front gates of the New City church. "So this supervisor guy lives here?" Shirou asked. It might have been a church but it had a very eerie look to it. It was dark and quiet and shrouded in fog.

"Yes. This is Kotomine church." Rin replied.

"Hey Shirou." Saber spoke up. "I think I'll wait out here. This place is giving me all sorts of bad vibes. You go do what you need to, but if anything goes screwy in there I'll come running."

Shirou didn't argue, he merely nodded as he and Rin both entered the gate. "Why do suppose Saber didn't want to come in with us?"

"I honestly couldn't say. She said this place gave off bad vibes which is something I can understand. This place does look rather creepy at a first glance."

Shirou gave one last glance back to the gate to see Saber standing guard. Once he and Rin entered the front doors he would have his answers. The front doors opened with a loud creak, something akin doors in horror movies. Inside the church was massive, but only served to add to it's creepy factor. So dark... And so many empty seats.

"Tohsaka, just how much do you know about this priest anyway?"

"Well I can tell you that he is a magus and he also just so happens to be my legal guardian. You see he's kind of served as my second teacher." Rin answered truthfully.

"He's a magus?" Shirou said. The surprises just kept on coming. "You mean this priest also belongs to a Pagan Council of mages?"

"Yes... And that's why he can be such a pain in the ass. His name is Kirei Kotomine, he was one of my fathers pupils. We've basically been forced to put up with each other for ten years now. We would've had nothing to do with each other if I had my way." Shirou was sure he wasn't imagining things. There seemed to be an odd amount of tension coming from Rin when she began to go in depth about the priest who oversaw the war.

"And I would have preferred a student who could show her teacher a little bit of respect." Came a calm and neutral voice. Shirou looked ahead to see a tall man dressed in black standing before he and Rin. He Hair was a bit shaggy and his eyes seemed rather dull. He wore a standard priests uniform with a long coat and a golden cross necklace. All in all the man looked rather odd and had an air of darkness surrounding him.

"I've brought the seventh master to meet and talk with you." Rin addressed the priest. "He's technically a magus, but he's so inept that it pained me to ignore it."

"Tell me my son, what would your name be." Kirei asked, he dull eyes locking with Shirou's.

Shiou took an instinctive step back before answering. "My name is Shirou Emiya."

"Emiya?" the priest chuckled. "Are you certain that you're Saber's master.

"Far from it! All this talk about masters and grail wars, I don't understand any of it?!"

"Hmm? That is a problem" the priest said casually. "Very well, seeing as this is the first time Rin has ever asked for my help I believe the least I can do for you Shirou is to oblige. Listen to me. Being a master is not something you just hand from one person to the next... And once you become a master you can't just walk away from it either. Those command seals on your hand are a stigmata. The role of master is a trial that has been awarded to you. You can't just simply turn away because it's inconvenient. If you truly want to give up being a master then your only option is to obtain the grail and make your wish."

"And what wish is that?" Shirou asked curiously.

The priest held out his arms dramatically. "Why it can be anything you desire. If you win the grail then you'll have the rare chance to have the contents of your soul wiped clean. In fact if you wanted you could even go back in time and start your life all over. So if you get the opportunity to make your wish and it does come true, you'll be thanking your lucky stars that you were chosen to become a master. If you want to rid yourself of those invisible burns your only choice is to accept your stigmata."

Shirou was thinking long and hard about the priest's words. He could still see it in his mind. The raging inferno that had swallowed a portion of the city whole ten years ago. The day he had met his father... The man who saved him that day while all others were consumed. It was at this point Rin decided to speak once again.

"Kirei would you please get to the point. I only brought him here so you could explain the rules to him, okay?"

The priest sighed. "I guess I'll cut to the chase then. Here are the underlying principles of the Holy Grail wars. It's a series of battles to be fought by seven masters in conjunction with their servants. Participants in this war are not chosen simply because they wish to be. They are chosen as part of a ritual to determine who is the most worthy to possess the holy grail."

"Wait! You're talking about " _the"_ holy grail?" Shirou interrupted.

The priest smirked. "Trust me. When the holy grail materializes here in this city, it will be the genuine article. The miracles preformed by the servants should be proof enough that this is real. Servants are beings who approach the level of high spirits. They are either legends or historical figures who have been summoned forth by the holy grail and materialized here in human form. In theory they are to remain in spirit form and stay close to their master's side. They are to materialize and fight only when the need arises."

"Yes but Emiya's servant is a bit different. Because her master is a novice she can't take spirit form and I get the impression she wouldn't use it even if she could." said Rin.

"The grail's ability to resurrect the dead could easily be considered magic. If the holy grail is capable of this power, it is safe to assume it can bestow equal or greater power to it's beholder. In light of this, questions challenging it's authenticity should be moot."

"Alright. I'll assume for now that the holy grail exists." said Shirou. "But why do you have to kill people over it? If it really that powerful than why doesn't everyone just share it?"

"A logical question to ask. Unfortunately we don't have that choice." said the priest. "The seven masters are the ones the grail feels are the most worthy to possess it, and it uses these wars to determine who is the most capable of them all. Everything is carried out by the grail itself. The selection of the masters the summoning of the servants, all of it. This war is a tradition. It's a time honored ritual where people chosen by the grail die in an effort to obtain it."

"But just because someone can win doesn't mean you have to kill all the other masters in the process!" Shirou said strongly.

"Hold on a second Emiya. There's no rule that says we have to kill each other!" Rin added.

"It is a fight to the death." Kirei said plainly.

"Oh Kirei, shut up!" Rin scolded. "Listen Emiya. The holy grail is a spiritual object, a human can't even touch it. Only servants who are also spirits can have actual contact with it. So you see servants are the key. Therefore the objective is to eliminate all other servants but your own."

"So I just gotta focus on the servants then, right?" Shirou asked. "Okay, this is starting to make sense. If my servant is the only one left at the end of the war than no one can stop her from attaining the grail."

"Exactly. So if you take out a servant then there's no need to kill there master as well." Rin finished.

"Well how come you guys didn't just tell me that in the first place?" Shirou questioned.

"Let me ask you something." the priest interjected. "Do you think you have the ability to defeat your own servant?"

That got Rin and Shirou's attention.

"Servants are quite powerful. It's hard for other servants to defeat them, much less ordinary humans. But servant's can't exist without a master. Which means..."

"The quickest way is by killing the master." Shirou said grimly.

"Yes." said Rin. "But a servant doesn't just disappear after loosing it's master. Another master can step in and use their command seals to form a new pact. A master who's lost their servant and a servant who's lost their master can create a new accord and rejoin the battle."

"Okay, but what if a master used up all their command seals? Wouldn't that set your servant free and they could go and make a new pact with a different master?"

"That's entirely plausible." Kirei answered. "If you use up your command seals then you are relieved from your duties as a master. Of course if a magus were actually to do this he'd be forever branded an incompetent, or worse and incredible fool unworthy of the craft."

Shirou grit his teeth at that.

The priest continued on, unaffected by Shirou's quickly souring mood. "Should that happen to you I will personally guarantee your safety until this holy grail war comes to an end."

"Guarantee my safety!" Shirou said hotly. "Why would I need to be protected by you?!"

"That is my duty as supervisor to these wars, and I will do my best to uphold my position. This is the fifth time that our fair city has been played host to the grails wars. The last one was ten years ago."

"Are you people insane!" Shirou screeched. "Are you telling me you people have done this before?!"

Kirei ignored Shiro's question and continued on. "In the past the grail wars grew to become incredibly brutal. Masters were driven only by their desires and began to butcher each other indiscriminately. Because of that the council of mages selected a supervisor at the very beginning of the third war and that man happened to be my father... And so consequently I have inherited the same post."

"Wow. It sounds like the grail wars have a way of bringing out the ugly side in people."

"Really?" Kotomine asked with an unknown glint in his eyes.

"Well yeah. The earlier mages were willing to break the rules of the magi to get what they wanted, right? So imagine if someone like that won the grail. Just think what would happen if they got their wish. It would be nothing short of a huge disaster, some maniac running around with that sort of power."

Kirei simply folded his arms behind his back. "It matters not what kind of person attains the grail. The council of mages will not interfere. Our only role is to make sure that the rules of war continue to be followed. If you take issue with that then become the victor. After all, relying on others can be incredibly inefficient."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Shirou challenged childishly. "I'm not interested in fighting this stupid war of yours! It has nothing to do with me!"

Kirei grinned. "So you're telling me you don't care. Even if someone unfit should win, knowing they could cause great harm to others. You're saying that none of these facts have peaked your interest? Not even what happened ten years ago?"

"You don't mean...?!" Shirou asked with wide eyes. He could still see it in his mind... The fire.

"As the fourth holy grail war was coming to an end, the grail was touched by someone who was unworthy. We have no idea what this master hoping to achieve, but we are all familiar with the atrocity that emerged as a result of his actions." Kirei said, his attention now focused outside. "Yes, they say that the cause of that fire is still unknown. In actuality it's the scar left behind by the fourth holy grail war."

"What's wrong?" Rin asked as she noticed Shirou tense up. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah... I'm alright." Shirou said as he took a deep breath. That was a lot to take in. "So... What was the outcome of the last war?"

"There wasn't one." Kirei said blankly. "Like I said, the grail was touched by someone unworthy and the war ended. But before him there was another man who touched it. But you see that man had done his best to avoid fighting, and so the grail would not fully materialize. When all seven servants are gathered the grail will appear, then begin to materialize. But remember what I just told you, this man chose not to fight so the grail refused to acknowledge him as it's rightful owner."

"I'm afraid he's right." Rin sighed. "Any strategy that tries to avoid confrontations with masters is essentially pointless. This guy who he's referring to who tried to avoid fighting last time was basically a coward."

The room fell silent for a moment before Shirou broke it. "Wait! This master you're talking about was you right?!"

"About halfway through the battle I quit. Unfortunately I had lost my servant, so I came to my father and asked for protection... That's all I wish to say on the subject." The fake priest said is monotone. "Without a servant, a master is no longer qualified to win the grail. When the tournament reduces all seven of you down to just one the grail will then reveal itself to the victor. So Emiya I'll ask you again. This is your last chance! Time to decide! Will you or will you not become a master is this holy grail war?!"

Again the room was met with silence as Shirou thought over his options. He couldn't avoid it, he had no choice but to participate. If he didn't and some complete and total bastard got the grail... Just thinking about it filled him with dread.

"I'll do it. If all this is true and the grail war did cause that fire ten years ago then there's no way I can stand by and let that happen again!"

"Well that's settled." Rin smiled as she turned on her heel. "Let's go then."

Just as Shirou was about to leave the priest left him some parting words. "Rejoice my son! You have a chance to make your dreams come true. You need a distinguishable enemy to see your dreams come to fruition. You may not want to admit it my son, but in order for virtue to prevail I'm afraid their first must be an evil that needs to be defeated."

Shirou narrowed his eyes.

"For you, your most noble aspirations and your most despicable desires all flow from the same source. So please stop pretending you don't know this. It's a conflict that's been going on within human beings for centuries." the priest finally finished.

...

Outside the church Saber waited patiently as her master and his escort came walking out. "Hey Shirou." She greeted. "You finish what you needed to?"

"Yeah I did." He said calmly.

"And?" she asked.

"I've decided to fight as a master. I need to know if you'll consent to serving a novice like me."

"Ha." Saber laughed. "You don't listen very well do you. I told you earlier, regardless if you're a novice you're still my master."

"Right. Thanks." Shirou nodded "Saber, fight with me till the very end."

Shirou extended his hand which Saber looked at in mild confusion.

"You don't want to shake hands?" Shirou asked.

"It's not that, you just caught me off guard is all." Saber smiled as she shook his hand. Her grip firm.

 _"If the holy grail wars is what really caused that fire ten years ago, I can't let anything like that happen again."_ Shirou thought.

Both where determined to win the grail war, one to stop the bloodshed, the other's motives a complete mystery. There handshake ceased and all present walked off into the misty night. After a while the group came to a stop as Rin addressed the novice.

"Alright, I've helped you out as much as I can. It's time for us to go our separate ways."

"You're a good person Tohsaka." Shiro smiled.

"Please don't flatter me, it'll get you nowhere." Rin dismissed.

Suddenly Saber went stiff, a familiar feeling running down her spine. A servant! "Shirou!"

Everyone turned their heads towards the end of the path ahead of them, child-like laughter all around them. Ahead of them was a silver haired girl with red eyes and a purple coat with matching hat. Behind her though stood a hulking mass of a man who seemed more like a monster carrying around a blade almost as big as he was.

"Hello again mister. This makes it the second time that we've met."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Chapter two is done and the long explanation about the war and servants is now complete. I thought about just glossing over the rules of the war but decided to just write it all down anyway. The story will follow the Fate/Stay Night rout very closely with deviations coming later down the line. I hope you all will be patient with me.**_

 ** _Enjoy the story and have an awesome day._**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer: The Fate series is property of Type-Moon... I own nothing!_**

* * *

 _Fate/Stay Night - Chapter Red_

 _Chapter 03- Saber versus Berserker!_

 _..._

"Hello again mister. This makes it the second time that we've met." the silver haired girl greeted. The situation couldn't have been more perfect for her. No witnesses nearby and two masters for the price of one right in front of her. How could she not smile, especially since her prey was beginning to sweat. The silver haired girl took a graceful bow as she introduced herself. "Hello there Rin, my name is Illya… Illyasveil Von Einzbern. Von Einzbern, you're familiar with the name, yes?"

"Von Einzbern?" Rin tried to recollect.

Illya giggled, this was just starting to get fun. "We can skip the rest of the introductions since you'll all be dead."

"Is that right you little brat?" said Saber as she stood protectively in front of her master.

"Mmhm." Illya hummed. "That's right."

Rin who had gone silent began observing the Von Einzberg's servant more closely. The amount of raw power the servant emanated made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "This is bad. That thing outclasses Saber by a lot."

Hearing that made the already nervous Shirou even more nervous. He'd seen Saber fight once already and knew she was powerful, but hearing Rin say she was outclassed really caught him by surprise. Not only that, she was still dealing with a wounded shoulder.

"Emiya." Rin said, gaining the nervous boy's attention. "It's up to you if you decided to run away or stay and fight, but if you can... Try to run far away."

Shirou could practically feel his heart beating in his chest. He was afraid... He could admit that. But running away and leaving Rin and Saber to face this new threat was not an option. He could feel the sweat rolling down his brow as he gazed into the glassy eyes of the hulking servant.

"Are you all finished talking because I'd like to get started." Illya chirped. "Okay, I hope you're all ready to die. Go get them Berserker!"

Once the order was given the hulking servant that stood docile began to tense. His almost smoky gray skin began to turn a dangerous shade of scarlet as his power started to rise. His eyes flashed a menacing red glow before he roared to moon like an untamed animal.

He dug his feet into the ground and leaped high into the air. In an instant Saber's raincoat was discarded and her armor and blade reappeared in a flash. Sensing the true danger Berserker represented to her master and herself, she knew she had to try and put this mindless beast down as quickly as possible.

Berserker raised his massive blade high and made to cleave Saber in two. She brought her blade Clarent up in defense. Both blades met with a resounding shockwave that knocked Shirou flat on his ass. He looked up to see Saber and Berserker locked in a deadlock.

Saber tightened her grip on Clarent and roared she forced Berserker back to the surprise of both Shirou and Rin. Berserker landed straight on his feet as he glared at Saber with eyes full of madness. He roared with anger at the armored knight, his only thoughts revolving around chopping her to pieces. Saber was largely unaffected by Berserker's mad shouts and charged at the mad servant.

Both swung their blades at each other with frightening speeds. The sounds of steel meeting steel filled the area. Literal sparks flew from their blades as the each held the same strategy in mind. SLASH and DESTROY! Berserker went for a powerful overhead strike that Saber easily blocked, but the force alone was still enough to force her back. Feeling enraged at being pushed back, Saber charged back in with reckless abandon to meet the hulking red giant.

"Saber, be careful!" Shirou shouted as he watched Saber recklessly charge in.

Rin's mind though was focused solely on Berserker. "That sword of his is massive and yet he swings it with such relative ease."

Saber and Berserker continued to trade sword strikes with each other as the impact of their blades began to leave multiple slash marks on the surrounding area. Neither one could land a clean slash on the other even though they had increased their speed.

Saber eventually jumped back to create some distance between herself and the mad beast known as Berserker. He was proving to be more trouble than she'd thought he'd be. She grit her teeth under her helmet and charged back into the battle. There where four loud strikes made before Berserker went for another overhead strike. Saber saw this coming and sidestepped the blade that had now embedded itself into the ground.

Not wanting Berserker to raise his blade again, Saber planted a foot on top of it. Seeing her opening she swung her blade at the mad servants throat. "I've got you now!"

"She's got him now!" Rin cheered. That cheer quickly turned to shock however when instead of having his throat slashed, Berserker merely arced away from the blade and forced Saber away with two strong kicks to the chest. "There's no way he could be that agile! How the hell does that thing even qualify as a Berserker?!"

Berserker simply cracked his neck before lifting his blade from the ground. He turned to face Saber, his face betraying no emotion.

"Hmph! You're better than I thought." Saber said to the mad servant, gripping her blade tightly before pointing it at the stationary giant. "Still, I'm going to cut you down you annoying bastard!"

Berserker's eyes widened in rage as he made a mad dash at Saber who mirrored his movements. The ground beneath them began to split apart as they neared one another. Unfortunately for Saber, Berserker was much more powerful and forced Saber back.

She was doing her best to hold off his blade with her own, but the mad servant was just as relentless as she was. He roared in fury and swung at Saber with such force that she was sent flying into the air. Saber cursed under her breath at letting herself get launched so easily. The next thing she knew she was using Clarent to block Berserker's midair strike that had forced her back to solid ground with a large bang.

Berserker came crashing back down to skewer the red knight, but she got back to her feet first and again was deadlocked with the snarling Berserker. Saber could feel her muscles trembling under the extreme force that was baring down on her. She needed to break this deadlock soon. The blade Clarent began to glow, flowing with red lightning. Saber could feel herself slowly pushing Berserker away. She gave one mighty heave and forced Berserker off of her.

Saber's helm disassembled around her revealing her face, she looked frustrated. Maybe it was time to change up her strategy? "Damn Berserker." she muttered under her breath. She tried to think of what would her father do in this situation... Then it hit her. Use the environment. Saber began to run down a side path no too far from her position with Berserker not too far behind.

"Don't let her get away Berserker!" Illya ordered as she followed after her servant.

Saber wasn't fast enough as Berserker was on her in an instant and began to swing his blade wildly at her. She quickly turned around and parried each strike made at her. Just watching Saber struggle was enough to put a smile on Illya's face.

"That's it! Get her, get her!" she cheered.

Saber narrowly avoided a strike that would have taken her head off. She ran around the savage servant and up a nearby telephone pole. Using her red lighting she began to surf the wire with Berserker following on foot. Berserker growled at the crimson knight before chopping the telephone pole down. Saber clicked her teeth as she was forced to hop to a different pole. While she rode the lightning she finally found her intended target... Berserker's master.

Saber jumped into the air with her blade poised to end Berserker's master's life. For the first time since the battle started, Illya looked at the Saber of red with something akin to fear in her eyes. Just as Saber was about to bring her sword down, she was batted away by a very enraged Berserker, and sent crashing full force through a nearby stone wall.

"Saber!" Shirou called out in worry as he watched his servant walk through a new hole in the wall. The top of her head was bleeding heavily as crimson rolled down the side of her face. She looked just as enraged as Berserker. She completely abandoned all sense of strategy in her rage and dashed at Berserker. He swung his blade down in an arc that split the ground. Saber merely leaped into the air and Shouted at the top of her lungs as hers and Berserker's blades met once more.

When both blades met, Saber could feel her shoulder pop. She cringed from the searing pain shooting though her shoulder down to her arm. Berserker on the other hand wasn't previously injured from an earlier bout and took advantage by knocking Saber aside.

The crimson knight was able to land on her feet but fell to a knee as she gripped her left shoulder. _"Shit!"_ she growled.

"She's still hurt!" Shirou realized. By the way she was fighting, Shirou had nearly forgotten the injury she suffered at the hands of Lancer earlier. She must have been ignoring the pain before now. "SABER! GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Shirou was about to try and intervene, but was held back by Tohsaka.

"Tohsaka!"

Rin ignored Shirou for the time being and focused her attention on Berserker. She began firing magic at the mad servant, but it had no effect. Her puny finger gun was the equivalent of a peashooter to him. "No good. My attacks have no effect."

"This is hopeless, get out of there now Saber!" Shirou shouted.

Retreat! Leave the battle unfished! Ridiculous! She was destined to become a king and surpass the one and only King of Knights himself! Like hell she would retreat! She could feel her anger threatening to swallow her whole and grit her teeth, she would take this freak of nature down even if it killed her.

Saber looked down at her left arm which now hung limply by her side. She couldn't feel it at the moment. That meant she would have to try something even more risky than before if she was going to slay this beast. But first, she had to clear her thoughts. She took a deep breath and hardened her gaze at Berserker. She stood back on her feet and held her Clarent close.

"You really are a pain in the ass, you know that?" Saber started. "You're just a mindless beast that only understands one language." she began to grin. "Fortunately for you it's a language I also understand and will respond in kind."

The energy around Saber began to build, red lighting swirling all around her body.

Her face turned hard as she prepared for an all or nothing strike against the mad beast known as Berserker.

"This is where you die! BERSERKER!"

Saber took off like a speeding bullet ready to put everything on the line. Berserker merely tried to divide the earth as he took another swing at the ground below. Dirt and debris flew through the air obscuring everyone's view. Saber was not deterred by going in blind. She powered through until she was face to face with the red-eyed monster. She thrust her blade at the beast's heart, but found her blade ensnared by his iron grip. Blood dripped from his hand as he held Clarent in place. He was ready to end this battle and send Saber back to whence she came. Saber would have none of it however, as she felt nothing but raw, untamed power surge through her body. She let out her battle cry as Clarent glowed it's crimson glow, **"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

Again Berserker roared, but not from rage. No! It was from a pain which he had likely never experienced before. In a move that left nearly everyone stunned, Saber forced her blade through Berserker's chest and released everything she had at that exact moment. Red Lighting shot straight through his chest and out his back, leaving behind a giant gaping whole in what used to be called a torso. Berserker fell to his knees, lifeless... the light in his eyes, extinguished.

"Is it all over?" Rin asked when the dust had finally settled.

"Saber!" Shirou called as he started to run over to his servant.

Saber let loose a long sigh of relief, this battle was finally over. Right as she was about to address her master, her eyes grew two sizes at the sight in front of her. The gaping whole in Berserker's chest was... Closing itself up. _"HOW! Is this regeneration?! No, it can't be! It's a curse of resurrection that activates whenever he dies!"_

Worry began to grip Saber as she saw the mad servants eyes brimming with life. She knew what was about to happen next.

"MASTER! STAY BACK!" she ordered.

No sooner had those words left her mouth, Berserker had fully recovered, and struck all his might...

Saber was sent flying through the air, a trail of blood following her on the way down.

"Saber!" Shirou shouted in horror.

Saber struggled to look up at the insane savage that had wounded her so badly. Her vision was blurring and turning as red as the blood she was leaving on the pavement. How pathetic she thought. How was she supposed to accomplish her goals if she gets taken out like this? She was supposed to become a king wasn't she? In a way this situation seemed almost familiar to her. It made her so mad she could spit. Shirou tried to run over to help her but she waved him off, much to his surprise.

Shirou couldn't believe what he was seeing. Here was Saber, bleeding profusely and with one function arm, forcing herself to stand with the aid of her blade. Shirou couldn't do anything except watch, he hated this. He couldn't understand why? Why was Saber still trying to fight knowing this was a loosing battle?

Illya finally appeared from behind Berserker with her child-like grin plastered across her face. "You're not going to win this. Berserker isn't your average servant, he's the strongest hero in all of Greek history."

"A Greek hero?" Rin questioned, she made sure to know her history. It was then realization finally hit her. "You don't mean..."

"That's right! My servant is none other than famous Hercules."

"Hercules?!" Rin parroted in shock.

"That's right, the strongest monster there is. My servant is a thousand times better than any lackluster hero you could summon."

Rin remained silent.

"Oh well." Illya smiled. "Finisher her off Berserker. She'll just regenerate so chop off her head to make sure she stays down."

Shirou couldn't take it anymore! To hell with the damn rules! Saber had been through enough. "LEAVE HER ALONE!"

What happened next left everyone shocked...

Shirou Emiya, the novice magus who had just found out about The Holy Grail War a few hours ago had just jumped in front of a finishing blow meant for his servant. Such a thing was unheard of. No proud magus would ever do something so colossally stupid.

Shirou's scream is loud and permeates throughout the entire battlefield. He lands in a heap, his life essence flowing out of him freely. "Master! Master!" Saber calls in worry. He's unresponsive.

Rin is rendered speechless. She looks back and forth between everyone present, unable to fully comprehend what just happened.

Illya is very much the same. "Why...? Why did he do that?"

Saber doesn't know what to do or what to really think. She was a knight who had fought many battles, and yet in not one of them had she needed to be rescued by another. She couldn't remember a time when someone had jumped in front of a blade for her. She didn't know if she should feel angry or... All she knew for sure is that she knew who to blame for this. Even in her weakened state she gives Illya the most malevolent glare she could muster.

Even with Berserker by her side, the silver haired girl takes a step back. Even if she wouldn't admit it out loud, this Saber servant scared her. "C-C'mon Berserker. T-This has gotten boring. We're leaving!"

By his master's order, Berserker dematerialized and Illya disappeared into the dark of the night.

With the enemy abandoning the battle, Rin sighs in relief. She turns her attention to the unresponsive Shirou with her anger out in full force. "What did you think you were doing running in there like that?! Did you really think you could save her?!"

…

In an unknow location another set of eyes views the battlefield. "So you too have been summoned to this world ... Mordred."

...

Back at Kotomine Church, Kirei was reveling in his good book, carefully reading it's passages. "Too many voices and too many desires will confound you. Talk is cheap, man's sin is lying-"

"There is a feint sneer on your lips Kotomine." a new voice interrupted. There form covered by the creeping shadows of the church. "You should take heed not to show that look to other people."

"Is that what it looked like?" Kirei said as he closed his book. He turned to face the only other occupant in his church that was seated all the way in the back.

"Indeed. You are a rogue without shame and have a smile to match. That boy... Emiya, was your encounter... pleasant?"

"Yes it was." Kirei smiled faintly. "It was as if I had been reunited with an old friend. How could I not be happy. It's just as you said, The Holy Grail War has begun again after a mere ten years. As overseer I can only pray that the miracle will be fulfilled and that the grail will materialize this time. On a different subject, what do you think of young Shirou Emiya? Does the name make you feel nostalgic?"

The figures eyes narrowed. "Hardly, just the name alone fills me with disgust. All I want is the wish that I was denied."

Kirei smirked. "Our lord who is in heaven will forgive all the sins of the world. But first we'll have to wait a while, preparations are nowhere near complete."

"Very well, I shall stay my hand for the time being." the figure said, their golden orbs looking out to the moon. _"Emiya, even in death you haunt me. To think your spawn would summon... Her."_

"Is there something on your mind?" Kirei asked as he noticed his guest seemed lost in thought.

"No. The moon is beautiful tonight. That's all."

 _..._

 _A cool and calm night. A bright moon shining down on the ground below. The wind was calm and the crickets made their serine music. In the backyard of a fairly large home a young Shirou Emiya sat with his father to enjoy the cool night._

 _"When I was younger I too wanted to become a hero of justice too." said Kiritsugu._

 _"What do you mean used to?" Shirou asked in confusion. "You just gave up on it? Why would you do that?"_

 _"It's hard to explain." Kiritsugu said calmly as he looked up at the full moon. "Hero's don't last long. The older you get, the harder it is to be one."  
_

 _Shirou pouted._

 _"I only wish that I had come to that realization sooner."_

 _Shirou became silent as if pondering his father's words. "I see, I guess that probably won't happen for you then."_

 _"No... It probably won't."_

 _"Well, since it's not going to happen for you... I'll just have to be one instead." said Shirou. "I'm sorry that you've gotten too old for it, but I've still got plenty of time for it."_

 _A moment of silence passed between the two as the wind began to pick up, it honestly felt quite nice to them._

 _"You just leave it to me." Shirou continued. "I'm gonna make that dream of yours come true someday dad, I promise."_

 _"Thank you. That's a relief son." Kiritsugu nodded._

 _Another silence fell between the pair. This time though it wasn't by choice, Kiritsugu's journey had finally come to close. He dies right then and there with a smile on his face. Shirou looks on with sadness as the man who had saved him passes on into the next world._

 _Tears roll down his cheeks..._

 _He feels his heart ache..._

 _And everything else around him is rendered silent._

* * *

 _ **A/N: Chapter three has come to a close. This chapter was a bit shorter than the last one. Anyways, Saber fought Berserker and it obviously didn't go well. Just to clear up any confusion or misunderstandings that may arise, Saber(Mordred) is weaker than she was in Apocrypha. This is due to Shirou's inability to provide a sufficient amount of mana for her since he's a novice.**_

 ** _I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, have an awesome day._**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: The Fate series is property of Type-Moon... I own nothing!**_

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 _Fate/Stay Night: Chapter Red_

 _Chapter 04- The Knight of Treachery, Mordred Pendragon!_

 _…_

Shirou slowly cracked open his eyes, where was he? This didn't look like Japan. In fact it looked like a medieval renaissance fair. There where no tall skyscrapers, no electric lights, there wasn't even a car of any kind. Just huts, horses, lanterns, and... A castle off in the distance. This place looked like something out of phantasy novel, if Shirou didn't know any better he'd think he was in Camelot or... Something.

He wandered the streets until he saw a crowed of people huddled together on two sides. What was going on? He tried to call out, but no one even turned their head. That was rude. He walked over to the first person he saw and tried to tap them on the shoulder, only for his hand to pass right through them.

WHAT?!

He tried again and again to tap the guy's shoulder, but again he was met with the same result. His hand passed right through him. Shirou was beginning to freak out, what happened to him? Was he dead? Was he a ghost? He took a deep breath to steady his mind, just what had happened to him for him to be here?

Shirou tightly shut his eyes and tried to focus. He was doing his damnedest to remember but his mind was a jumbled mess. All he could remember was blood and a scream. Both of which came from him. He eventually stopped thinking when he heard the people beginning to cheer and clap.

"Our King!"

"Arthur!"

"King Arthur!"

"Our King Arthur Pendragon!"

"The promised King!"

Arthur Pendragon?! The King of Knights! The one true King of Camelot! Shirou moved deeper into the crowed to get a better look. Coming down the road on a white horse was none other than the King... Arthur Pendragon. It had to be the way the people were cheering and showering him with praise. The others on horseback behind him must be the knights of the round table.

Shirou's attention shifted back to the king. He looked very feminine for a male and looked to only be in his late teens with blemishless skin, familiar green eyes, and a slender physique. Atop there head was a small golden crown that seemed to almost blend in with their finely textured blonde hair that looked as if it had been sprinkled with gold dust. The King wore a shining silver armor that contrasted well with the old styled dress that was made from an old fashioned blue cloth underneath.

The thing about the storied King that caught Shirou's attention the most was his face. Emotionless and empty. Even in the face of all this praise, the king didn't smile, his face didn't even flinch, it was as if he was cut from stone. Just seeing the emotionless expression on the King's face made some of the cheers die down.

Shirou backed away slightly confused until he heard a soft but familiar voice behind him. In a small alleyway stood a cloaked figure who seemed so familiar to Shirou and yet so different. They had the same blonde hair and jade eyes as the King. In the right light they could pass as the King's younger sister.

"That's Arthur, the King of Knights." they said in slight awe.

No sooner had those words been uttered, a dark figure appeared beside the nameless youth. Their face was hidden behind a black veil and they had an air of darkness around them. Shirou had never met this woman but he could already tell she was trouble. He didn't know why, but all he wanted to do was get this woman as far away as possible from the young girl admiring the King, but knew that was impossible.

The veiled woman wrapped he arms around the young girl's shoulders and began to whisper in her ears, "Yes. The hero you should aim to become and the enemy you need to defeat."

Shirou didn't like where this was going. That woman was not only manipulative, she was also dangerous. Shirou couldn't tell what the young girl was thinking, if he could he would know she thought being a hero like the King and defeating him was not possible. The King was just so stunning and perfect... That's why she would choose to serve under his wing. She would soon become his sword and eliminate all who opposed him.

The scenery around Shirou began to shift, no longer was he in the streets hearing people sing the King's praises... No, he was now in a burning castle in a place unknown to him. Even worse people where being slaughtered. Knights were being cut down by a single warrior, another knight with what appeared to be devil horns on their helmet. One-by-one they cut down any knight who was feeling brave enough. Soon only one enemy remained. He was so scarred he was shaking in his armor. Back against the wall and with no escape, the knight with horns approached him.

Who was this mad knight that was freely spilling blood? Why did they seem so familiar?

"Answer me. Why did you choose to betray our King?" the horned knight asked. That voice! Shirou instantly recognized it as the girl from that back alley. They where covered head to toe in armor and it appeared they had grown quite a bit. How much time had passed?

The man on the back wall continued to cower but still spoke. "The King is far too perfect."

"Fool!" the horned knight howled as she raised her blade.

Shirou wanted to stop her. He ran up to her to try but he passed right through her just like everyone else. He had to watch on as her blade sliced the last knight open like a stuffed pig. It was horrifying to see so much blood in one place. There was just so much of it, the floors and walls where slick with it. Even the horned knight's armor was painted crimson.

"Where is the sense in being dissatisfied with a perfect king?" she asked to no one. The King is selfless... He only takes what is needed, nothing unnecessary remains. He has no dreams, Nor does he need them.

The scenery shifts yet again. Shirou was now in what he assumed was part of the castle. There was not a soul in sight except for the one watching the sunset. It was the girl from the alley. Shirou could now tell she was older now that her helmet was gone. It really did make him wonder how much time had passed. The female knight looked so peaceful watching the sunset with the wind blowing against her hair. It was moments of calm like these that Shirou enjoyed.

That moment of calm was interrupted however when another voice inserted itself. "Mordred!"

That name. _"Mordred"._ Shirou knew that name. Just where had he heard it? It was the girl's name no question, but why was it so damn familiar? Worse yet, why was the veiled woman here? Again Shirou wanted to get Mordred far away from this woman. She had the stench of pure evil and vile manipulation wafting off her.

"Tell me. Just how long do you intend to play knight?"

"Mother." Mordred greeted in surprise.

"You are heir to the throne, so stop living in his shadow! You are his child! His living essence!" the veiled woman pleaded.

Mordred was the King's daughter? That would explain why they looked so similar Shirou thought. But this woman was clearly not the King's wife. Who was she? More importantly, why is she trying to use Mordred to get to the King. It couldn't just be the throne could it?

Mordred seemed almost at a loss for words. She looked over at the tallest tower of the castle with a smile on her face. Shirou was surprised at how earnest her smile was, it was as if her wildest dreams that seemed unreachable had finally come true. "You're saying that... King Arthur, is my father."

A smile as earnest as that one on the girl's face should make Shirou happy on principle alone. So why was it that his gut felt twisted up in knots? Something terrible was about to happen, Shirou could feel it. This moment right here had altered this girl's destiny forever... And now everyone else was along for the ride. Whoever that veiled woman was, she just ignited the fires of something horrible.

Shirou watched as the veiled woman vanished into the shadows and Mordred made her way over to the tallest tower. Once more the scenery transformed... And the feeling of dread in Shirou's gut intensified. He was now in an entirely red room filled with chairs. Was this some kind of war room? The only two people in the room where the King and his knight, and things were not going well.

"You won't acknowledge me as your son, is that your answer King of knights?" the once earnest smile on Mordred's face was now replaced with a harsh frown. Her voice was no longer filled with shock and admiration, just bitterness and pain.

Shirou could almost feel the heartbreak Mordred was feeling right now. The King had rejected her. The _perfect_ King, Arthur Pendragon didn't even give her a straight answer. His face was the same as it was during that trot through town with the rest of the round. Empty and Unfeeling. He turned his back to her, and just walked away, not once turning back.

Shirou couldn't believe what he was seeing. This was the _perfect_ King? He looked back at Mordred to see her trembling with rage. Shirou wanted to just give her a hug at that point, to tell her everything would be alright. But he knew in his heart that wouldn't work even if she could see or feel him. He instinctively took a step back from her when he saw her face, it was contorted into a look of pure hate. It looked unnatural on her, where did all this hatred come from?

"I was fine being in your shadow. But you never even once turned around to look me in the eyes. Why won't you acknowledge me!" Mordred practically screamed, her fists clenching so tight Shirou could hear the leather of her gloves stretching. "I'm going to destroy everything you've worked for do you hear me! ARTHUR!"

The scenery shifted for what seemed like the final time. Shirou covered his mouth in horror. The sky itself seemed to be as red as death. The whole area wreaked of bloody death. Mountain upon mountain of bodies and blades laid strewn across the battlefield. So much blood, so much death, so much destruction, what could have done all this?

"Where is King Arthur?!" a familiar voice screamed. "Show yourself to me King of Knights!"

Shirou turned just in time to see the horned knight Mordred screaming at the heavens for the King. She'd just finished cutting down and enemy knight before hunching over. It was clear as day that she was exhausted. How long had she been fighting this battle? She looked around her taking in all the corpses that formed these mountains. She began to cough violently as fatigue was starting to fully set in. She couldn't afford to go down yet, not until she faced the King.

She grit her teeth under her helmet as a shadow loomed over her. Like Shirou she looked up to see the object of her vendetta. The King of Knights himself. He stood with grace as he looked down at Mordred from the tallest tower of bodies. Even when surrounded by the corpses of his allies and friends, his face was unchanging. Stone cold and empty. Just looking at the supposed _perfect_ King made Shirou question if the man even had a heart.

"How's this? Do you see King Arthur? Your kingdom will end here! This is revenge for not relinquishing the throne to me!"

The King said nothing. He just readied his blade as if this was just another battle. Mordred seethed.

"Do you hate me?" she asked. "Do you detest me that much?!"

The King remained silent.

Shirou seriously wanted the King to say something. To show any kind of emotion instead of being aloof. Mordred and Arthur were the last two knights on the battlefield from what he could see and yet he continued to remain silent. Mordred wasn't just his child but a knight that served under him faithfully. That all changed when the King outright rejected her. Why wouldn't the King say anything? She was in a great deal of pain and yet the King opted for silence.

"Do you hate me because I am the child of a witch?"

Silence.

Mordred shook with rage. "Answer me, ARTHUR!"

Both charged at each other with their respective blades raised. Clarent versus the sword of promised victory Excalibur. Both blades clashed wildly as they stood atop the mountain of their fallen allies. All Shirou wanted was for them to stop. They where family, they shouldn't be fighting each other in the first place. If they didn't stop one or both of them were going to wind up dead.

Eventually Mordred got the upper-hand and relieved Arthur of the blade that had won him every battle thus far. The beautiful golden blade know as Excalibur was sent flying through the air and landed perfectly at Shirou's feet. Even though there was a battle going on in front of him he couldn't help but admire the blade's craftsmanship. He had never seen a sword like this before and he doubted he ever would again.

Back up on the hill Mordred and Arthur had separated from their brief exchange and stared each other dead in the eyes. After all Shirou had seen of the King, he had finally broken his silence. It was strange to hear him speak, his voice sounded as feminine as he looked. The main thing that stuck out about it was how monotoned it sounded. The King sounded dead, as if the weight of the kingdom and troubles of the world had been pressed down upon him... Squeezing every last bit of life from his body.

"I have never once thought of you as detestable."

Mordred seemed shocked that the King... Her father had finally spoken to her. She was even more shocked when Arthur pulled out Rhongomynaid, his trusty lance. It was known as the lance that shines to the ends of the world. If Excalibur was like the sun then Rhongomynaid was like the moon. It wasn't a weapon the King used often, in fact he used it so rarely that people forgot he could use a lance at all. Shirou on his part could only be in awe of it's craftsmanship just like Excalibur.

When the King raised his lance, Shirou felt nothing but dread fill his stomach. His eyes widened as his instincts told him what was to happen next. Even though he couldn't interfere with anything here, he still felt as if he had to try. He did the only thing he could do... Run toward the pair.

The king's hair fell over his eyes, enveloping them in shadow. That combined with the red sunset behind him gave him the soulless appearance of a devil. It was ironic in a way. The knight with the horns looked so tame in comparison to the one who was supposed to be a symbol for all that's good in the world.

"The reason I did not relinquish the throne..."

Mordred brought up her sword in defense.

Shirou was almost there... Just a little further.

Mordred's eyes widened as the end was coming near. Behind her helmet she could see her doom. Arthur was too quick and she was too worn out to dodge. There was no way she was going to be able to avoid this strike. No way for her to save herself.

Shirou finally stopped running. There was no point anymore. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He fell to his knees at the sight before him. He finally remembered where he'd heard her name. Why he wanted to tell her everything would be alright. She was his servant in this fifth holy grail war. The one he'd formed a pact with and agreed to work with to win the grail. She was Mordred Pendragon as she so eloquently stated... The one and only true successor to the famed King of knights Arthur Pendragon. The one who called a novice like him... Master.

Now here Shirou was, unable to save her. She stood there blood seeping out of her chest where Arthur Pendragon had run her through. Even though he knew he couldn't change anything here it still felt like a failure in his heart.

"...Was because you do not have the capacity to become King." Arthur finished.

Mordred's helmet shattered to pieces to reveal the face of the girl underneath. Shirou couldn't tell what she felt in those last moments. The only thing he could understand was the final word that left her lips.

"F-F-Fa... ther."

So ends the tale of The Knight of Treachery, so ends the tale of King Arthur, and so ends the story of Camelot. The world around Shirou faded to black... And then the next day came.

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 _ **A/N: Shirou has finally seen Mordred's past. I thought about writing this as a generic dream, but I changed my mind and made Shirou like a ghost so he could really experience Mordred's memories. Let me know what you guys think about the chapter, I would really like your feedback on it.**_

 _ **Have an awesome day.**_


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